Content
Threat actors continued to transition from traditional phishing to voice-based social engineering (vishing), and credential harvesting from third-party SaaS tokens to facilitate large-scale, silent data exfiltration. This activity, along with AI-assisted attempts to probe targets for information and continued threat actor emphasis on data-focused theft, indicates that organizations should be turning to more automatic defenses. The report focuses on recommendations for mitigating risks and improving cloud security for leaders and practitioners. Bridge the gap between cloud security theory and execution. Srestha's dedication to staying informed about the latest trends and innovations ensures that her writing is always current and relevant. She crafts engaging content and her ability to bridge the gap between technical expertise and accessible language makes her a valuable asset in the cybersecurity community.
While software-based exploits increased, initial access by threat actors using misconfiguration, https://pagemakers.net/leveraging-technology-for-business-growth/ which accounted for 29.4% of incidents in the first half of 2025, dropped to 21% in H2 2025. As 2025 unfolded, our Google Cloud security experts noted an important pivot in threat-actor behavior. Securities and Exchange Commission reporting mandates may increase pressure on organizations to ensure cloud-centered forensic readiness.
Srestha is a cybersecurity expert and passionate writer with a keen eye for detail and a knack for simplifying intricate concepts. A vast quantity of devices with varying security measures complicates the enforcement of uniform protections, throughout edge settings. Cloud security breaches have long-term consequences that may persist for many years. BEC has developed to aggressively focus on cloud-based email leading to monetary damages and exposure of data. Cloud systems are built to expand yet adversaries take advantage of this adaptability to cause swift depletion of resources and increased operating expenses.
Unlock Cloud Security Insights
APTs are prolonged, covert assaults during which well-resourced attackers silently penetrate cloud systems to extract valuable data. Detecting insider threats is challenging since they come from users who possess access, to cloud environments. Embracing the https://chickencoopplansmanual.com/simple-chicken-coop-plans-learn-how-to-easily/using-tensorflow-on-the-raspberry-pi-inside-a.html cloud has turned into the foundation of contemporary transformation; however it has also altered the cybersecurity environment in ways that caught many organizations off guard. Stay informed with the latest in cloud security news – visit our blog to keep your competitive edge sharp.
Threat actors continue using anti-forensic and destructive techniques
- Defensively, organizations should pivot from manual patching to automated defenses—such as patching the Web Application Firewall (WAF)—to neutralize exploits at the network edge before software updates can be applied.
- This decline suggests that automated guardrails are making identity and configuration errors harder to exploit and that threat actors are being driven toward more sophisticated and costly vectors that specifically target software vulnerabilities to gain a foothold.
- To help secure Google Cloud services that should be reachable from the public internet, Google Cloud offers VPC Service Controls to wall off sensitive data and Identity-Aware Proxy to verify every access request.
- VPC Service Controls help by securing Google Cloud APIs and Services so that even if an attacker achieves RCE on a cloud-native application, VPC Service Controls prevent them from making unauthorized calls to exfiltrate data.
- While weak or absent credential entry fell from 47.1% in H1 to 27.2% in H2, software exploitation overtook credentials as the primary initial access vector for the first time.
Organization Policy Service sets constraints that prohibit the use of external IP addresses or broad firewall rules, ensuring that operational convenience does not compromise the security perimeter. IAM Recommender automatically identifies and helps remove excessive permissions, limiting the potential damage if a credential is compromised. Use technologies like Identity-Aware Proxy to enforce identity-based authentication, creating a central control point that shields applications from RCE attempts and stolen credentials without opening ports to the public Internet. Protect administrative interfaces with identity-centric proxies rather than relying on permissive firewall rules. The window between vulnerability disclosure and mass exploitation collapsed by an order of magnitude, from weeks to days. Similarly, exposed sensitive UI or APIs continued a downward trend, falling from 11.8% in H1 to 4.9% in H2.
